Turkey can launch new military operations in Syria if necessary

Turkey can launch new military operations in Syria in case of necessity, Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik said in an interview with TRT Haber TV channel July 4.

Isik said that Turkey is entitled to neutralize any threat from outside and in particular from Syria.

He added that no country is entitled to dictate its will to Turkey in the region.

Turkey has been deploying military equipment to the border with Syria since June 21. Military equipment is in Turkey’s south-central province of Kilis, which borders Syrian territories controlled by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD).

On Aug. 24, 2016, the Turkish Armed Forces launched the Euphrates Shield operation against the “Islamic State” (IS) militants and liberated the city of Jarabulus, as well as the city of Al-Bab in northern Syria with the support of the Syrian opposition.